Top 5 Tips on How to Travel Smart Internationally

It’s time to visit Santorini, Greece for a week-long trip. While you’re ecstatic about taking in the sights of blue domes set against a sunset of orange hues, you’re also dreading the packing and trekking to your end destination. Fear no more. We’re here to help you with some travel tips.

Pack light. Pack light. Pack light. Repeat that again when you’re still wondering if you should pack those third pair of shoes. To get from Point A to Point B, you may need to go through Roman numerals i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc. You get the point. It may not be an easy task to get from the airport to your lodging. You may need to take public transportation, taxi, Uber, or a shuttle that makes several stops. Whatever your mode of transportation, lugging and lifting a 50-pound suitcase is no fun. And not to mention you’ll need to leave room in your luggage for some shopping excursions.

For a long journey, we recommend packing two bags—a hardcover suitcase you can check in and a carry-on backpack or duffle like these TSOG bags. Why one of our bags you ask? Three reasons: 1. Our premium leather goods are quality made and designed to last. 2. Our Davos duffle bag is just the right size and weight. Large enough to carry all of your essentials and small enough to fit in an overhead compartment or underneath the reclined seat from the guy in front of you. 3. We put so much into making unique travel accessories like our Muko and Montreux. We obsess over the details as much as we do with the quality. We put our entire bodies into our work and take great pride in our modern and minimalist aesthetic. Additionally, as your proud carry-on, our backpacks have quick external pockets for your essentials like contacts, eyeglasses, snacks, and toiletries to freshen you up after a nine-hour flight.

Let’s face it. We want to share (*ahem* brag) our travels with the world through social media. We recommend that you activate the international data with your cellular service provider. We're fans of AT&T's $10 a day unlimited international plan. Unless you're gone for a month, then this probably isn't the best idea. You can share or upload a photo instantly in the middle of the Aegean Sea. If you don’t want to spend the extra money for data, turn off roaming and keep your phone on airplane mode. But don’t forget to leave your Wi-Fi on. That way, you’ll only have access to Wi-Fi at places that offer complementary Wi-Fi. Last option, rent a phone or buy a local sim card. We've done this in places like China and more ideal for those month long trips.

Bring an extra battery pack for your electronics. We can’t tell you how many times this has helped us from being stranded in the middle of nowhere and we’re hanging on to that last 5% of the phone’s battery life.

Get TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. There are pros and cons to both, but Global Entry is the way to go if you’re an international traveler. For just a few bucks more, Global Entry grants you all the privileges of TSA PreCheck (expedited screening, no lines or removing your shoes) plus expedited screening at Customs and Border Protection checkpoints when entering the U.S. Expedited screening at airports makes all the difference in the world when you’re short on time, but you still want another churro from that festive stand. So what do you do if you don’t have expedited airport screening? You better still get that churro and haul ass to your gate.

So there you have it—some tips on how to travel smart internationally. Go, and be well.